A Story of Friendship
by K. Ackles
Summary: It’s after the supposed two years, and both Will and Sydney have thoughts to think about.
1. Chapter One

Title: A Story of Friendship - Thoughts of Syd and Will  
  
Author: K. Ackles  
  
Summary: It's after the supposed two years, and both Will and Sydney have thoughts to think about.  
  
A/N: I am omnipotent, and am expressing what they feel, and if they don't really feel this, then tough, because they feel like this in the little 'Alias' script in my head.  
  
Rating: G  
  
Pairing: To a minute degree there is a tiny smidge of a hint of S/V, but nothing happens, so don't get worked up about it (shippers, that means you).  
  
Disclaimer: If I owned this stuff, trust me, you'd know about it. Alias would never be the same again. Oh Bradley...  
  
Will looked outside, and saw Sydney walking up the path to the door. As she walked through the door, she flashed him a smile. An amazing crest-white smile.. Will smiled back at her. His hair ruffled, just like she had always known it. His bright blue eyes sparkled, the light dancing over them. She was drawn into his eyes, and for a minute, couldn't remember what she wanted to say to him. Oh well. At that moment, it didn't matter.  
  
Ever since she had returned from Hong Kong, Sydney had been spending more time with Will. He seemed to be the only one who wasn't treating her as if she was someone else. The only one who saw her for who she remembered being, and not who they thought she had become. It was comforting to know that after two years, Will was still...Will. With his dazzling blue eyes, quirky sense of humour and innocent smile, he was every bit the same as she remembered him.  
  
What she still felt for Vaughn didn't matter when she was with Will. With him it was different, peaceful. There was no electric spark between them, it was just Will and Sydney, still best friends. Without Francie between them, they felt lonely, and yet in those two long years, Will managed to get over her...and Sydney. He managed to forge himself a strange new life which concerned only him. Will had been deeply scarred by the death of Francie, and by the apparent death of Sydney. To have her back he felt...like Will. The old Will. The Will he used to be before he had distanced himself from people, the Will that sat in silence at the bar, next to Jack Bristow, without saying a word.  
  
Jack and Will had become close during the time Sydney had been missing. They both grieved over her loss. The fact that her body had never been discovered offered them no closure. They sat together at the bar. Silent. Drinking stiff drinks. Each understanding the other's pain, still too hurt to voice it. Sydney Bristow meant the world to those two men. Those two men who had lost the only women who mattered in their lives. Irina, Francie and Sydney. As the two men sat in the same bar night after night, they forged a bond. Not a friendship, for a friend would have voiced his feelings, but rather a connection between them, which allowed them to keep going. On the small hope that Sydney was still out there, they kept going.  
  
After seven hundred and forty six days-had it really been so long?-they may have given up hope, but after seven hundred and forty seven days, Sydney was back. They had found her. Will didn't have to be alone anymore. Afraid to let anyone become close to him, in case he had to feel that pain again. He never wanted to feel like that again. He thought that if that were ever to happen to him again, he might lose himself. Will's fault, in the world of espionage, was that he felt too much. Jack, like many other agents, had found ways to cope with feeling. The ability to distance his thinking from his emotional feeling. But Will Tippin felt, and he would always feel. He was unable to distance himself from his emotions, and when he lost Sydney, he felt floodgates open. To feel such pain like that again-Will was sure that it would kill him.  
  
Now, he had her back. It took time for him to erase the feelings that he had for Sydney after she came back. Not the romantic feelings, but the feeling that he was seeing the dead walk. That it couldn't really be Sydney. To see her in front of him, and to think that, in his heart, she was dead. When Will was able to leap over that hurdle, he had come to appreciate Sydney on a new level. He came to the quick realisation that, maybe, he neglected Sydney in his 'previous life'. He never wanted to do that again.  
  
Sydney was his last grip on reality, and he wouldn't abuse that connection again. He had his lifeline back, and he wanted to treat her like a god, and hold her up above his head for everyone to see. And he wanted to cradle her gently in his arms, so she wouldn't break. He wanted to whisper to her that it would all be okay. That Vaughn didn't matter. That he could protect her. Keep her safe. Keep he happy. Keep her out of harms way.  
  
Vaughn had been married while Sydney was away. Will didn't hate him for it. Although people thought he would hate Vaughn for doing that, Will admired the man's ability to move on after his grief. Will had never finished grieving. Vaughn had come to accept that he would never see her again, that he had lost her. He had married another. Will was never able to see women in the same way, without thinking of her. Not a lover, but a best friend. Somebody he could talk to in the middle of the night. Call her up and just talk, for absolutely no reason, about nothing. It sounded like a girlie thing to him, when he thought about it, but those late night calls were...relaxing. She was always there for him. He was glad Vaughn could find somebody like that. That he was happy. If anyone deserved to be happy, it was Vaughn.  
  
Maybe some part of him wanted to see Vaughn and Sydney together, to soothe her aching heart, but he knew that could never happen. He hurt when he saw her hurt, and he wanted to stop it for her. Not to be the person who stopped it necessarily, but just for the pain to stop. They had that connection. Even when she put on a brave face, and smiled at him, he knew she was hurting. He also knew that she would eventually get over it, the way Vaughn had, the way he was unable to. Sydney had that amazing emotional strength.  
  
Although she wasn't able to lose touch of her emotions the way her father could, she was able to compartmentalise, and forget her pains while she was focused elsewhere. Yet while her mind was free to wander, she felt everything come together. To drown her beneath her own emotions. She needed to keep busy, and she knew that. Will knew that about her, and he kept her as busy as possible. He invited her out for jogs, to the theatre, out for dinner, just a ride on the town, a stay-at-home popcorn and movie-marathon, yoga classes. That had been his best idea, she thought. While she did yoga, she felt a peace within herself which she had never felt before.  
  
The art of meditation was a fine one, and one that Sydney was unable to master. The one thing she was unable to do, was the one thing she needed to do. The yoga enabled her to feel calm, but it was the calm before the storm-it didn't last for long. When it all came back to her, she was overwhelmed. The looks she had received upon her return. The shock to discover Vaughn was married, that her mother was still missing, that her father had become more distant than ever. Amongst everything-the calamity, the frenzy and the chaos-stood Will Tippin. Her best friend. He stood alone, standing with his hand extended, ready to do whatever it took to make her feel right again.  
  
He was her lifeline. Her link to reality. Perhaps it was the thought of Vaughn that brought her back to Los Angeles, but it was Will who kept her hanging on. He kept them together. She felt as though he held her up, he made her special, made her feel glamorous. And he kept her safe. Lying on the couch, watching movies with her head in his lap, his arm draped over her shoulder, she felt safe. Will made her feel safe. He had a calm manner to him which helped her feel calm. Though not a dominating presence, he was there. Waiting to be there for her whenever she needed him.  
  
They need each other. Inseparable, they fit together. They sat. Each needing the other to hold on to themselves. Their friendship ran deep, but was always and only that. It may have felt different for each of them at stages, but it was always that. Together, they completed each other, in a way which made it possible for them to be with other people. Neither of them had ever had that before. It took them seven hundred and forty-seven long days apart to realise they needed to be together; friends, forever. Lying on the couch, watching old movies, and eating buttered popcorn, together. 


	2. Chapter Two

A/N: This is a slightly different style, but carries on in the same sorta story line. If it sucks, let me know, and I won't torture you with any more :D  
  
Sydney and Will sat on the couch. Will had taken over her apartment when she went away, but he didn't have the heart to give any of her beloved possessions away in case.in case she came back. Everything was exactly the way she had left it, so when she got back it would feel the same. One day, forty-seven days, seven-hundred and forty-seven days, he wouldn't move a thing. When she came back, he wanted everything to be perfect for her, so that she could carry on just as they were before.  
  
When Sydney had walked up that pathway for the first time, she felt a sudden discomfort in her stomach. What if it was different? What if none of her belongings were there? What if it was exactly the same.She didn't know what to feel. Two years is a long time, what if the same is just to different. She wanted to pick up her life just as she had left it, but somewhere, and somehow, she knew that she couldn't do that. As hard as Will tried to pretend nothing had ever happened, she felt different.  
  
Sometimes she forgot that any time had passed, and then she would watch reruns with Will on the couch, and realise she had never seen it the first time. Small things brought back the fact that she had been gone. The flower bed in the front was different. When she asked Will about it, he said they had died during a drought. She missed it, he replaced the flowers, but although they were the same to the outside world, the one who lived in the house behind them knew the difference.  
  
In her fight with Allison, the house had been destroyed, everything from all of the walls had fallen and broken: mirrors, pictures, cupboards, plates, shelves, all of it. When Will was released from hospital, the CIA insisted (pushed by Jack) that he stay at home for a few months and recover. He retaliated by insisting that he take only two weeks, and go back to working on the intel which would bring Sydney back to him. They refused. He tried again. Eventually they allowed him to work, but only if he worked from home, and didn't take any classified information with him. Fine, as long as I can work to bring her back.  
  
Will Tippin worked tirelessly. Whenever he could spare the time, he shuffled those important papers. But he knew that nobody was paying attention to what he had to say, so he focused on another project; fixing Sydney's house, so that when she got back, it would be exactly the same, so that she could come back, and live in her house, and lead her old life. He scoured shopping malls from coast to coast and used the Internet, looking to replace every bit of wood, glass and steel which was broken. He even scuffed up the corners of the couch, just so it looked used. When he had finished cleaning up the house, he moved in. Only temporarily. Just to protect Sydney's stuff until she gets back, he told himself. He lived there for two years, long after she had been presumed dead. He refused to believe that, and stayed anyway.  
  
It looked the same to her, and she knew that Will had tried hard to pull back the pieces for her during her absence. It looked the same, but it [I]felt[/I] different. These looked like hers, and felt like hers, but they just weren't hers. He knew it wasn't the same, and he could see that Sydney looked awkward in her own house, but he didn't know how to help her. For once, Will didn't have an idea on how to help Sydney. When Danny had been killed, he had tried to find out who did it, because it killed him inside to see her like that. Even though it may have been a stupid thing to do, it had been something. Will had to feel he was always busy, always working to do something. Almost everything he did, he did for Sydney, and now he was powerless to do what he had always done before.  
  
He thought about selling the house, but that would be even worse. It would uproot her, and the place had already been cleared and protected by security section, just like all of their agents houses. She had to live there. He felt hopeless, he loved her so much and he could do nothing in his power to help her. It tore him apart inside, to see her like this. She couldn't feel safe in her own house. She wanted Will to stay with her and keep her safe. She didn't have to ask him, because he knew her so well, and he stuck around, just to protect her.  
  
Not to protect her from anyone else, but to protect her from herself. So she didn't have to think about what may have happened. About the scar she had on her stomach. About how Vaughn had been engaged and married before she got back. These were the sort of thoughts which made her uncomfortable. Why was Vaughn married? Although she couldn't understand it, she loved him, and all she wanted in the world was for him to be happy. When he had visited her in Hong Kong, she could feel him. He felt different than when she had held him last.  
  
He was holding out on her. That hug wasn't as warm or as comforting as it should have been. It was cold, rigid. Sydney felt confused at first. She was missing for two years. The man she loved seemed to have given up on her.  
  
Will told her that it wasn't only he who loved her. He had told her many times that he loved her. When he had first found out the truth about Sydney and SD-6, he was able to express how much. His love for Sydney was overpowering, but not domineering. It was a deep love, not lust. It was a special love, it was the love of a friend. Such true, deep and unrestricted love can only come from a friend, and Sydney and Will's friendship is the stuff of legends. 


	3. Chapter Three

A/N: Okay, so this is the next chapter. Hope to bang out a couple more this week. Please tell me what you think of it. There is more 'story' this time, but it still revolves around their thoughts. I also think this chapter was meant to be, because I had a major dose of déjà vu. Creepy, no? Let the story continue.  
  
Sydney looked at Will, who looked back at her. Another hard day at the office; Sydney had to endure seeing Vaughn at the office again. Finally, she had gained her security clearance. It took a while, but after extensive interrogation sessions, lie detector tests, and hypnosis, the CIA finally realised that Sydney was not a double agent working against them. The hypnosis hadn't revealed anything about those two years other than that she couldn't remember them: they were complete blanks.  
  
Will kept an eye out for Sydney while she was at the office. He had been promoted quite quickly over those two yeas he was with the CIA. His position as an analyst had helped the CIA recover more artefacts, US enemies and Intel than they could count. He now had an entire desk to himself, which was just opposite Sydney's. He could look up from his computer screen and see her working. He would just sit there, and look up from his computer, and see her sitting there, filling out paper work. Almost every time, she could sense his eyes on her, and she would look up, and smile her breath-taking smile at him. He grinned back at her, and they would continue working.  
  
Will found that he was getting more work done with Sydney back at the office. He supposed that it was because his subconscious had been relieved of it's burden. He had finally found her. He looked up, just to make sure she was still there, and that he wasn't dreaming. She was still there. Wow, he thought. She looks so beautiful when she is focused like that. The corner of his mouth hinted at a smile, and his eyes glinted. He turned back and continued to work on his PC.  
  
Sydney felt safe when Will was watching her. It was kind of funny. She had saved his life more than once before, when he was the one who looked scared and helpless, and now he was the one who made her feel safe. She looked up, just to make sure he was still there. Every time she looked up, he was looking back at her, the corner of his mouth turned up, holding his jaw at the corner of the 'L' formed by his finger and thumb. He was wearing his reading glasses, and his fore-finger pushed them at a funny angle, making the fluorescent light reflect off of them. Sydney smiled at him, and went back to work.  
  
She felt awkward in the office with everyone staring at her like they had seen a ghost. She may have been missing for two years, but that was hardly long enough for her to be declared legally dead. Marshall had tried to talk to her y, but he only ended up stuttering, and rambling on about nothing, prompting a sharp "Marshall!" from Jack, who was sitting at the desk next to Sydney. Will looked up-to see why Jack was raising his voice-just in time to see Marshall scurrying away like a frightened mouse. He shook his head, and carried on working.  
  
As he worked, he thought about Syd, and how she must be feeling. After all that had happened to her, she was back at work with the CIA, amongst her old colleagues again. The secret agent Will had loved for so long, back at her day job. On the rare occasion he got to see her in action, he was mesmerised. The shy girl he had met so long ago came out of her shell with every mission. He wished she could be like that now. The strong, independent Sydney wouldn't have a problem facing all of these people. Strangers with familiar faces. That was the Sydney who could put on a brave face, even as she was being shot at. That wasn't the Sydney he was looking at right now.  
  
She had just spotted Michael Vaughn as he walked into the office. He looked up, saw her looking at him, and quickly pretended he was going through a manila folder he was carrying. Will watched all of this with a sore heart. He could feel Sydney's pain, even as she pretended it wasn't there. Vaughn wasn't making it any easier for her either. Maybe if he quit the CIA, Syd wouldn't have to see him like this everyday. But that's not going to happen Will, so snap out of it. He knew that she needed to get over him, but how was she supposed to do that when he walked past everyday. She saw him everyday. Smelled his cologne as he walked past her. Will wished that he could just tell him to go away, so that Sydney would have time to make peace within herself.  
  
He couldn't bear this any longer. Vaughn was coming towards her, and the scent of his cologne was sneaking nearer. Will thought of buying him a new brand, so he smelled different, and didn't make Sydney take an extra deep breath of it as he walked by. He wrote it in his palm pilot, and then got up. His chair scraped across the floor, and he walked over to her desk. He invited her to go to a yoga lesson with him after they had finished for the day. Vaughn had been in the office fourteen times today, and Will felt that Sydney needed a good long session to calm her nerves, and make her forget, if only for a little while. He started on the small talk while Vaughn walked past. He hoped that he had kept Sydney from noticing. Hopefully that was the last they would see of him for the day.  
  
She gladly accepted this offer, and smiled at him sincerely as she agreed to come with him. Perfect, she thought. She could feel the tension building up in her back and shoulders. After the yoga, she thought of asking Will for one of those massages he was so good at. His hands were so soft, and they worked the tension right out. Yoga had been good for loosening up, but now it was time for the big guns. As she really loosened up, she started talking to Will about her day at work. She didn't say anything about Vaughn- I'm over him, she told herself.  
  
The TV was on again. This time they were watching some new series about the CIA. Sydney just laughed at it, and Will laughed with her. They both knew that the CIA was nothing like what they were seeing. Such radical missions and ridiculous outfits. She felt completely loose now, and laid her head in Will's lap, munching on popcorn, and having a pointless conversation about the 'Texas' reruns which were on next.  
  
Love it or hate it, let me know! :P (PS: if you didn't get the 'Texas' reference, it was my way of keeping everything mine, and not having to add a disclaimer. Just think about what it means.it'll come to you!) 


	4. Chapter Four

Chapter4  
  
A/N: My babies are growing up right under my nose.*sniffle*  
  
Will was determined to be there for Syd when she needed him. He was also determined to be no more than he had to be, no more than she wanted him to be. He wanted to be everything for her, but he didn't want to push anything on her, so he kept himself to himself. He denied the feelings he was beginning to feel for her. She's my friend, he thought, she's my best friend. That's all she is. I can't be any more for her than that.  
  
Will had feelings for her which he had only ever felt once before, his feelings for Francie. The thought of Francie brought a tear to his eye. The betrayal which lay beneath that story was more than he cared to deal with. That was perhaps the one thing he had left to make peace with, before he could truly move on. He had loved her. His love for Francie had grown from friendship into love, just like he was starting to feel for Sydney. But he could not open himself up for that to happen. Until he could get over this feeling of ultimate betrayal, he couldn't open up again. Having a butcher's knife shoved into your shoulder took some getting over, let alone by the one you love.  
  
He would never let his emotions overwhelm his thoughts again. making the same one twice. It was hard for him, because he was an expressive person, but he had to keep his feelings for her away from his conscious. No matter what he started to feel for Sydney, he would deny it, and remain her friend. To him, the mark of a true friend was one who remained your friend, even when they wanted so much more. At one point, he may have wanted to tell her, but he was only afraid of one thing more than death; rejection. For two years the closest thing he had to a friend was really just a drinking buddy in Jack. His life was back on track, and he wasn't going to have it derailed for something as trivial as feelings he wasn't sure he had anyway.  
  
He instinctively looked up from his desk, and a thoughtful grin wrinkled the corner of his mouth. That beautiful and amazing woman sitting across from me is my best friend. She risks her life for me and the country I love everyday. His chest swelled with pride, and he sat up a little straighter. He felt like the luckiest man in the world, knowing that he was looking at the one person he could trust with anything, even his life or the life of his family. He wondered if she felt that way about him. Like he was a friend worth having. Like he was worth the trouble he had caused.  
  
If truth be told, he was the only real friend she had left right now. She too was still grieving over the loss of Francie. When she had realised he was married, she left Vaughn alone. Besides. She didn't have feelings for him anyway, or that's what she told herself. Then there was Weiss. Always cracking a joke and eating, he was a great guy, but not a very close friend of hers. Besides, he's friends with Vaughn, and that can only lead to problems. Marshall hyperventilates whenever someone tries to have a proper conversation with him, and it's hard to be best friends with your emotionally compartmentalised father. That left Will, and her friendship with Will felt so right that sometimes she wondered if there wasn't more.  
  
No, she decided. Nothing more. I am not going to derail Will's life again. He was still trying to get over the fact that she had been missing for seven-hundred and forty-seven days, she didn't need to make his life any more difficult for him. He is starting to be stable, and it isn't my place to ruin anything for him. He deserves to be happy. He's waited for so long, he needs to be happy. She knew she was in her best capacity to make him happy as his friend, so that's what she was for him. Sydney was not new to the game of rejection either, and wasn't willing to put such a good thing into the line of fire. Besides, she wasn't emotionally single yet. In her subconscious, she was still in love with Vaughn, even though her conscious decided to deny it.  
  
Looking up at Will again, she noticed that he was looking preoccupied. His eyes were closed behind his glasses, and he was running the forefinger of his right hand over his eyebrow. He never realised he was doing it, but Sydney realised it as a sign that he was in his deep-thinking mode. His face was expressionless. His left hand was supporting his head, which was tilted slightly to the right. He was sitting like that for almost an hour, when her father called him. "Tippin", said the man gruffly, "briefing.". He was awoken from his state of 'peace' and stood up, smiling at her as he rose. She thought he winked at her.  
  
Trying to sort out his emotional life in the heart of the CIA was a long shot, and it didn't pay off. He was thinking about Francie, how he felt about her, how he thought he felt about Sydney. He thought that he was starting to make sense of it all, when Jack called him for a briefing. As he stoop up, he caught Sydney's eye, and smiled at her. Did I just wink at her? He wasn't sure if he had or not, but hoped she didn't notice. He didn't mean to do it if he had. He gave her one last smile as he entered the briefing room, and closed the door.  
  
He had finished preparing his presentation the night before, after Sydney had gone to bed. He pulled the covers up for her, and wished her a good night "Call me if you need anything." "I'm a big girl Will, you don't have to get everything for me." "I'm just trying to help, holler if you want me." "I will, Will.", "G'night Syd" Every night, the same thing. He just wanted to let her know that if she ever needed anything, he was there for her. He made sure she knew that every night, so that she would always know he wanted her to be safe. He wasn't sure if he could do anything to help her, but he would give his life trying. He also thought that perhaps the stability of going to bed like that, with a solid routine was good for her. Would keep her stable, and happy.  
  
He came out, and went back to his thinking pose. He spent most of the afternoon that way, with Sydney looking up at him every now and then, to see how he was doing. When she saw a tear drop from his eye, she decided that today it was her turn to be there for him. Still grieving Francie for so long, Will needed to resolve that within himself. Sydney took the comforting role this time, and took him out to grab the latest video release. Eyes on the TV screen, they watched the movie. This time Will's head was tilted against Sydney's shoulder, her arms around his shoulders. 


	5. Chapter Five: The End

Chapter5:  
  
Will was watching Sydney from a distance. She was standing over her father while he talked to her, probably something about Irina, he thought. He was starting to realise that he couldn't deny what he felt for Sydney. He had loved Francie, but this was feeling different. True, it started the same, but he was feeling more for Sydney, he had moved on from that. He wanted to ask her out on a date. A real date, just to see if it would work. How am I supposed to ask her out without making it uncomfortable? How should I make it sound like a date?  
  
He had already made reservations at a small Italian place he knew of. Real Italians owned it, not those people who cooked Italian food, people who were Italian food. It was a Friday night, and he had to make the reservations a month in advance for that place. Originally, he had planned it as a 'welcome back' dinner, but started to think that maybe it was a bit much for that, and eventually, he became so preoccupied with his work that he forgot to cancel the booking. He had only remembered it when he turned the page of his calendar.  
  
When he saw "Syd" and "Valentino's" for the coming Friday, he started thinking about making it a date, and now he was about to do just that. First thing Tuesday morning, and he was going to ask her out on a date. He watched her, and waited for the right moment to come. Sydney noticed that his, eyes were glazed over, like he was looking through her, and was thinking of something to say. She walked over to him, and asked what was on his mind. Looking down at the ground, and scratching the back of his neck he mumbled "wanna-go-fer-a-date-Friday?" "Will, what are you saying? I can't hear you when you mumble like that. What is it." she flashed her amazing smile at him, but only succeeded in making him feel even more awkward, if that was actually possible, "You know you can tell me anything." "I was wondering," he looked up, took off his glasses and smiled back at her, "I was wondering if maybe, if you aren't busy or anything, if you would want to, maybe, ummm., have dinner with me Friday night?" He punctuated his question with a goofy smile. "All you had to do was ask Will, of course I'll have dinner with you. Why are you acting so funny about?" The look on her face suggested that she knew why, but he wanted him to say it first. "I was wondering, maybe, if it could be, like a, er.ummm , a date?" He didn't want it to sound like a question, but he couldn't change it now. All he could do now was hope she wouldn't say no. He closed his eyes and waited for it. Of course she's going to say no. He was already preparing for that. What has come over me. Why on earth would she- "Of course." "I understand, I mean if you-what? Did you just say yes?" His sky blue eyes opened a bit wider. "I have reservations at 8:00, so when should I pick you up?" How stupid! I live with her for goodness sake! What an idiot! "How about 7, and then we can have drinks, and maybe dance a bit." She smiled at him, and felt as though some strange poison was flooding her body, and it felt wonderful.  
  
The moment she realised he was asking her out on a date, the feelings she had been hiding from Will flooded her mind. Her conscious, her subconscious, her emotions, everything screamed 'YES!' at her. How could she say no to him? Vaughn didn't matter any more. He was gone. When Will had asked her out, she didn't think 'What about Vaughn?' for even a split second. All she thought about was Will. Her smile brightened up the room. The dams they had built within themselves had broken, and the spark was electric.  
  
Michael even looked up from the folder he was pretending to go through. He realised, from the look on her face, that she had found the person she was looking for. It wasn't him it was-Will. Good for him, thought Vaughn. He had known for a while now that Will had feelings for her. He could tell by the way he looked at her. Even when he wouldn't recognise it inside of himself, Vaughn could see it from the gestures. Michael doubted if any two people deserved to be happy more then Sydney and Will. Finally, he could stop feeling that small pang of guilt whenever he walked past Sydney. She had been missing for two years, and he had needed to move on. He was sure that he loved her, but while he looked at Will and Sydney now, he knew that they were in love, and he could tell that it was deep.  
  
Just for the fun of it, Will went outside in his suit, and knocked on the door. Both he and Sydney had calmed down since the original euphoria early that week. They had stayed the same, but there were more looks, more smiles, more winks and blown kisses. Sydney had changed in her room, and through the closed door, told Will to go outside and knock. So he grabbed the flowers he had bought her, and stood out on the porch. "Coming!" came the call from inside. As the door opened, Will saw Sydney differently. She was wearing a long black dress. It was plain, but it hung over her figure to amazing effect. She was wearing hanging earrings, and her hair was curled and done up. She looked beautiful.more than beautiful. She looked, wow, she looked, resplendent. She took his breath away.  
  
"These are for you." He passed her the flowers. The look on her face showed that she wasn't expecting them. "Let me put them in a vase, and then we can go." She did so, and then they linked arms and walked to his car. "Allow me." He opened the door for her and helped her in. Will, always the gentleman.  
  
They arrived, parked, and entered. As if almost on cue, the previous song finished, and a new one started. Will realised it as Bon Jovi's 'If That's What it Takes', and asked Sydney to dance. She accepted, and they made their way to the 'dance floor' and started to dance, looking into each other's eyes. Close together they danced, eyes locked on each other. It was a night for them to remember, and both of them would.  
  
THE END 


End file.
